I think I know where all my birds have gone.

This is my first post, I am going to jump right in.....smile.

I am into my 2nd season of feeding my little guys that live in my garden. I did not realize how fun and facinating birds are!

This is how I got started. I am always looking for great bargins. Came across a bird feeder that was too hard to pass up. That feeder was long gone by the end of one week. Guess who destroyed it?

In my learning curve I have had to reach into my wallet more times than I would like to admit, LOL.

I have my poles attached to my deck railing. They are very tall because because of the squirrel baffles. I think I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to outwit these smart little critters, LOL.

I am sure I have already written more than you want to know about me.......

I have noticed that my bird seed is lasting an awfully long time. Very unusual. They are usually quite the little pigs.

I have a hawk ! Never seen him before but he landed right on my deck railing. I suspect this is not his first visit. He is quite a magnificent and handsome bird!

So now what ?? Any suggestions on how to encourage Mr. Hawk to go elsewhere?

Thanks so much!

taxicat

Welcome to the forum taxicat!

Can't really give you much advice on deterring hawks because their just doing what is natural for them. Keeping the feeders within 15 feet of cover (such as bushes) will help protect the birds.

I do completely understand about the squirrels as I too have gone through a long period of getting feeders destroyed by them. I now have 2 baffled pole systems and a Squirrel Buster Plus feeder hanging in a tree.

Again Welcome! ^_^

Just sending you a welcome and you are not alone in your battles. Squirrels unfortunately like the same stuff as birds!

I only have 2 feeders I hang in the tree and I put safflower seed in them and the are both open types. A hanging tray and one called a Dinner Bell. For the most part squirrels and raccoons, which I also have, don't like safflower. I have bought numerous feeders to ahng and they just chew thru the cords to get them to fall and break open. It is and will be a constant thing to deal with if you are going to feed the birds. You just have to accept it! LOL

I have to bring in the suet feeders at night because of the raccoons. Like pelle, I also have 2 pole systems. I have raccoon baffles on both and use the open platforms on them.

We have learned to make the best of it....and they do provide entertaining photo ops!

Thank you for such a warm welcome !

I sure am glad that others are having to deter the squirrels. They are welcome to eat, just leave my feeders intact and don't be a pig, LOL. Love your photo Nanny, as much as they are pests, I have to admit they sure are entertainment and cute little buggers!

I do appreciate the sharing of your experience to me. It just might cut down my learning costs a bit, LOL.

In talking with a neighbor yesterday I found out she has the same situation with our hawk. What has somewhat worked for her is to remove the feeders/water for about 10days. Mr Hawk is inclined to wander off elsewhere for a while. Anybody else hear of this?

We figured if we coordinate our actions, we could enjoy the best of both, LOL.

Believe me, I carry no illusions that I can control anything. I just think it's quite funny what I will do to think I can....smile

Spotted Mr Hawk this morning. He was sitting on a branch way up in my pine tree just waiting for his breakfast to appear.........

taxicat

Welcome, welcome, and open that wallet. LOL.

When it comes to squirrels, I guess I am lucky. I have a few around that can be persistent, but there is some food on the ground for them. It seems to me that if they are fed they won't bother the feeders. That said, they WILL chew through plastic, so remember that for storage or bird feeders. Squirrels are not as big of pigs for me as the starlings and house sparrows are. And sometimes the grackles. Every yard has their own pigs and bullies!

Remember to clean your feeders often, because they will carry disease. It's nice to have a few so you can rotate for cleaning purposes. Lots of birds will feed from platforms, so you don't have to spend lots of money. I often put out an old screen window mounted on something and get a large variety of birds that way.

They'll also enjoy a water source.

Have fun!

Our suet feeder with the 'tailboards' to help the woodpeckers works for all the birds--I see keeping it up will be expensive. we use 'hot pepper' suet cakes to keep squirrels off that one..

Hi taxicat, Welcome to Dave's Garden!

Aaah ... Squirrels, I've heard them referred to as "Tree Rats" among other not so nice names. I gave up trying to deter them long ago, it's almost impossible! Those furry critters can be pesky and really do a number on plastic feeders, even the types that have plastic inserts. I have one of those cylindrical metal feeders that had the plastic insert and somehow they were able to crack and break that insert. Now I fill it with peanuts and they empty it quickly! Although we have a lot of birds year round, it seems like the squirrels multiplied tenfold this year. It's fun to watch the babies play and chase each other round and round the trees! At night when the squirrels are all tucked into their nests and sleeping, the raccoons and possums raid the feeders for what's left. A couple of weeks ago a noise woke me during the night and I looked out the front window and a possum was swinging around on one of the feeders! I have a couple of old rusty iron type birdbath's that I use as feeders and every single morning I find them turned over in the backyard! Some of the possums and raccoons are pretty big critters.

We've had a lot of hawks around the past two years. I witnessed a hawk taking doves twice this year, they are swift and silent. I got photo's last year of a hawk eating it's prey on the ground in my backyard. I got within 6' of that bird before it flew off to a tree with what was left of it's lunch! This spring I got pic's of a hawk perched in a tree with dinner in it's talons. It was a juvenile and just sat there watching me for a long time. It's sad to witness that scene, but all a part of nature. The hawks are beautiful birds and must eat too.

I have a lot of feeders in my yard, mostly inexpensive wooden ones from Wal-Mart. The wooden feeders will last @ four years, but with the weather down here they will eventually rot away. I need to buy new ones before long. Here's a photo I took a few days ago of a squirrel on one of the feeders:

Forgot about your hawk issues....Not really much to do about that. I just don't worry about that one since they take spells of coming thru and then I don't see one for awhile. Had one thin out the Mourning Doves in the last few weeks. And since the raptors/birds of prey are my favorites....well I sometimes wish they came by more!

This message was edited Nov 10, 2010 8:12 AM

Nanny: I love the raptors too, don't see them often enough! I was out on my deck a week or so ago and heard what I KNEW was a Bald Eagle! It was my very first sighting of one flying over my own backyard! We hear and see Osprey's and hawks pretty regularly but I was so excited to see the Eagle. I was just wishing I had a camera with a more powerful lens!

Not the greatest picture but such a majestic bird:

Isn't it just amazing to see them. So rare when I was a kid and so abundant now. There's even some during the winter at my childhood home.

Nanny.....glad to hear your Mr. Hawk comes and goes. Maybe he can give the word to my guy, LOL.

Plantlady and Mrs Ed...I could not agree with you more on these guys. This is my first experience with this bird. He is most handsome. What I have enjoyed is watching him take off, he could not be more graceful.

I believe there are different kinds? Mine is kinda brownish beige mixed. He sure has big claws, LOL.

have a great day !

taxicat

taxicat: I found this list of Georgia Birds: http://www.cviog.uga.edu/gsb/student/wildlife/birds.htm

It looks like you have a couple of the same Hawks that we see down here.

I took this photo on October 19th @ 8:30 a.m. A juvenile Cooper's Hawk that perched in one of the trees in the backyard. The Blue Jays were going crazy and this guy was either too immature to catch his own breakfast or was just toying with the Jays! He'd take off chasing one and dive and swirl and then land back in the tree with nothing for his efforts. He stayed for about half an hour and then I heard another hawk (mama?) calling from down the road a way, and he took off. I am not good at identifying birds or plants from comparing photo's so this one was identified here on the Bird ID forum as a Juvenile Cooper's Hawk.

This is another juvenile Cooper's Hawk. This photo was taken on August 3rd. The reddish colored stuff in his talons is a little Cardinal that he caught. :(

Thanks for the pics plantlady! That's the Mr Hawk I have.

Good link also. Will check it out!

I sure am enjoying all your hospitality and this forum. Thanks so much for your warm welcome.

taxicat

Welcome taxicat. There are several hawks in my area, Red Tailed, Kestrels (my favorites), and the pesky Sharpshinned rascals. Also Great Horned Owls are back for mating and nesting season. One was hooting loudly near my house this morning.

I am lucky no squirrels to steal bird seed. I live in the desert part of Wash. state. at my other house I had planted several E. walnuts and Filbert nut trees. I learned not to do that anymore. Just invites the squirrels in. So no nut trees here and none at any of my neighbors, so no squirrels.

Donna

taxicat: Glad to have you here in the garden! Stroll around and introduce yourself at whatever forums you find an interest in ... just pop in and introduce yourself. There are so many sweet and knowledgeable folks here! I see we even now have a Georgia Gardening Forum: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/region_ga/all/ if you ever have any questions about plants in your part of the country.

This really is a fun, sharing place to spend time on-line!

Donna: No Squirrels?? LOL, I didn't think there was anywhere in the world where squirrels weren't present! I'll gladly share a few of mine! ^_^

Lin

This photo was taken in April. It was really meant for berry eating birds (and a few birds did manage to have a snack once in awhile) but it really turned out to be a fruit salad bar for the Squirrels.

Gosh, is there anything those bushy tail brats DON'T like !!! LOL

Mine gobble up anything red pepper. No prob with safflower seeds.

Sure wish my DH was not as fussy........

What birds in everyone's area enjoy their daily helping of fruit?

taxicat

This message was edited Nov 11, 2010 9:19 AM

Aaah, The Red-bellied Woodpecker loves raisins that I put in the feeders but they also love the fruit of the Black Cherry Trees:

Yummy ....

The Northern Mockingbird likes berries and raisins:

The Gray Catbird migrates to our area during the winter months. They eat suet and also berries ... and when my neighbor's Loquat trees are full of fruit they are really happy birdies!

PLLin, Love your shot of the catbird. Mine are long gone.

About the only fruit left here are lots of Malus, Prairie Fire Crabapples on the 10 tree Allee, and the other 5 varieties of crabapples. I have been putting out seeds for the birds but not raisins, however of they want raisins there are still a few niagara grapes on the vines. I forgot there are quite a few clusters of grapes on the 3 decorative vines of vitus.

It is 25 degrees here this morning so most of the things are pretty frosty or frozen.

Here is a photo of the Prairie Fire Malus Allee.

Donna

Donna: What a beautiful photo! I love trees, whether they are leafless, full of leaves or full of berries/fruit! Wow, it's cold where you are! Our current temp is 73ºF and it's supposed to reach 80º today but the humidity is low which makes it very pleasant outside.

My pictures above are from this past spring and summer. The Black Cherry trees have fruit in July and the Loquat/Japanese Plums in April. The Loquat are blooming right now. Interesting blooms but not particularly pretty, the fruit will follow in another couple of months:

Oooooh I so miss the catbirds!

I love the Gray Catbirds! They visit us usually from October through April. I spotted this one below on October 6th, they sometimes sound just like my cat!

We were totally baffled our first spring here...kept looking for kittens! Thanks to DG I finally found out what it was mewing. lol

^_^ Yep, they sure can make sounds that mimic kitties! =^-^=

Ha. Good thing Margaret doesn't have those, because she's got Barking Owls that sound like Dogs.

Barking Owls??

LOL, I had to google Barking Owl ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barking_Owl

Never heard of that one, how cool that they actually sound like barking dogs!! Can you imagine the Owl and the Cat Bird together?! Wouldn't that be a hoot!


^_^ ROFL at my last comment ... well actually it wouldn't be a hoot, it would be Arf and Meow!

Good pun, Lin. The Barking Owl really does sound like a dog barking. I just had a look at the wikipedia link and it says it has a double bark. Three barks are equally as common and the sound is so dog-like that I'm never sure it's an owl until the barking starts travelling around the sky. I've also heard it screaming and it really is a blood-curdling scream. The first time I heard it I was going to call the cops. I thought a woman was being murdered. Seriously!

:)

Boy, we strayed a bit here...LOL!!

All of you are funny !

I wonder how a dog might react when hearing that owl 'barking' ?

The animal kingdom never fails to amaze me.

taxicat

In case anyone is interested, I did take my feeders down for 10 days. Mr Hawk hung around for a few days and I suspect went to greener feathered meadows!

After I hung my feeders back up it took a fews days before the birds were back to being little piggies.

One surprise though, BLUEBIRDS are back. Sorry for the capital letters, can you tell they are my favorites, Lol?

I did see Mr Hawk flying in the distance yesterday......it appeared he had a buddy with him now. Is this unusual?

taxicat

This message was edited Nov 26, 2010 12:47 PM

That's great news taxicat. The buddy might be a mate.

If you put your feeders underneath the canopy of a dense tree, the hawks will be unable to penetrate easily, and the smaller birds will have a relatively protected feeding area.